Merry Christmas!

I wish you all the very best holiday ever!




(Vintage card courtesy of Cynthia Howe Miniatures)

Wishing you only good things, Neen

The 15-Minute, Mid-Century Modern Cardboard House and Cocktail Party!

Do you know about Mauther Papermau's blog? It is a very, interesting blog that daily posts about original and unusual paper models, and often provides the patterns for building them.

Today, the blog posted some great cut-outs of a 1960s cocktail party and midcentury modern house. Here it is,



This is what it will look like when finished,












It is found here.

The cut-outs were created by Maxim Dalton, an illustrator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who said, "Build your own mid-century modern house in 15 minutes. Then have a cocktail party to celebrate!" The original cut-outs are found here.

Papermau has posted hundreds of other paper models, such as,


















Not all have cut-outs, and some are complicated, but they are mostly fun to view. Papermau also offers this,


Found here.

Wishing you only good things, Neen

A little color, whimsy, beauty for a difficult Monday

(Sid Bergamin designs)





















(Susan Rios paintings)








(Mary Cassatt)
















(Source: beautiful-libraries.com)







Wishing you only good things, Neen

A Day of Grief

I know this off topic, but my heart is broken, 20 small children and six adults were killed today by a deranged person at an elementary school in Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers are with their families. The violence must stop, our children deserve a future.




Painting by Cynthia Angeles entitled "Grief," courtesy of http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story

Addendum

So many bloggers are heartsick today, and the world seems so dark.  I read "Mini Dork's" post on her blog which she has called "Faith," and, despite the incredible grief we all feel, I have a little more hope today than yesterday. I encourage you to visit her blog, http://modernminihouses.blogspot.com,

Love to all, Neen

More Art Deco

I thought I would add a few more photos of Lempicka's 1930s Parisian apartment,











You can see the burled wood paneling better in this recent photo of the same apartment,



The doors from a 1930s photo,


The doors today and the apartment today,


The staircase,



Wishing you only good things, Neen

What is Art Deco?

I am a very big fan of the Art Deco movement. The next several posts will address a little of my inspiration for the Art Deco house I will be building as my entry in the Undersized Urbanite Dollhouse contest.

Art Deco swept the world in the 1920s and 30s. It was rebellious. It echoed, and was a part of, the new technical revolution. It also was partly decadent, and at times difficult to differentiate from Art Nouveau. There is no one definition of Art Deco.

Art Deco could be this:


(Scene from the 1939 film, "The Women")

Or this:















Or this:


Or it could be the work of the artist, Tamara De Lempicka. Lempicka has been deemed one of the most iconic Art Deco artists. Here are some photos of her:









Oh yes, smoking was very fashionable during the Art Deco period. So was drinking.


(Cartoon found at http://vintagepowderroom.com/?tag=flappers)

Lempicka didn't care if you liked her personally (and most didn't, including her daughter), but she cared about her work.

A few of Lempicka's paintings:





The above painting is autobiographical, and the Bugatti automobile was hers.

Her sister, Andrienne Gorska, designed Lempicka's 1930s Parisian apartment:












Next post, Florine Stettheimer



(Florine Stettheimer, "The Cathedrals of Broadway")

Wishing you only good things, Neen